Motel woes not confined to Aurora Avenue

The state Department of Health has told the owner of a Lakewood motel some rooms must be vacated by midnight Friday because the roof may collapse.

Units 16 through 27 of the Biltmore Motel, located in the 12700 block of Pacific Highway Southwest in the Pierce County city are off-limits for guests.

An inspection of the motel also found mold, faulty smoke detectors, exposed electrical wiring and unsanitary conditions, a Department of Health spokeswoman said.

The restricted rooms can’t reopen until a hearing is held, something the owner has 10 days to request. The charges can be contested within 28 days.

The Lakewood closure comes after the Department of Health ordered the closure last month of Seal’s Motel, a low-rent building on Aurora Avenue North. State regulators also shut down the Green Lake Motel in May because of health concerns.

The Biltmore’s owner was not available Thursday morning and an employee declined comment.

Robert Miller, who had lived at the Seal’s Motel on Aurora Avenue North for more than two years, was told to leave last month. (Scott Eklund/P-I)